BREAKING: Nigerian Court Compels Striking Doctors To Resume Work immediately, after failed Talks

 

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) this afternoon ordered the striking members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to resume work immediately.

 

The order was made following an Ex-parte motion filed last week Friday by the Federal Ministry of Health, seeking for an order of interlocutory injunction, restraining members of NARD from further continuing the industrial action they embarked upon on August 2, 2021, contrary to Section 41 of the Trade Dispute Act, pending the determination of the substantive suit.

 

The motion brought under Suit No: NICN/ABJ/197/2021 has the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Government as 1st and 2nd Claimants/Applicants and NARD as the only Defendant/Respondent.

 

Upon hearing the motion Ex-parte and affidavit in support sworn by Ahmed Nasiru, the Director of Legal Services, Federal Ministry of Health, the presiding judge, Justice J.I Targema granted an order of interlocutory injunction, compelling all members of the Defendants/Respondents in all the States of the Federation to suspend the said industrial action commenced on August 2, 2021, and resume work immediately pending the determination of the substantive suit.

 

The Court held that the continued downing of tools by the striking doctors have inflicted a lot of damage on the health system and the sick especially in this perilous times of COVID-19 pandemic.

Targema further ordered that the Claimant/Applicant and the Defendant/Respondent suspend all forms of hostilities forthwith pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

The judge adjourned the matter to September 15, 2021 for the hearing of the motion on notice and any other pending application.

 

Reacting, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Dr Chris Ngige who first conciliated the issue between the NARD and their employers, the Federal Ministry of Health, described the court ruling as a welcome development.

 

Ngige however reassured the affected doctors that the ruiling will not prevent the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget Office of the Federation (BOF), Office of the Head of Service of the Federation (OHOCSF) and the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages and Commission (NSIWC) from the implementation of the agreements contained in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) reached at the last meeting with the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and affiliate associations with timelines affixed to them.

 

NMA had led three doctors associations to the negotiation that lasted from 2pm on Friday, August 20, 2021 to the early hours of Saturday, August 21, adjourning 2.am and later resumed by 2pm and finally ending by 10.pm.

 

Signed:

Charles Akpan,

Deputy Director, Press,

Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Building Better And Stronger Manners Among Children

APO House Online Searches and brings to us how to inspire manners in children...

1. When entering the house greet your children or even hug them. This should

help develop their sense of love and self worth.

2. Be good to your neighbours and never backbite. Never speak ill of other

drivers when on the road. Your children would listen, absorb and emulate.

3. When calling your parents, encourage your children to speak to them. When

visiting your parents take your children with you. The more they see you take

care of your parents the more they will learn to take care of you.

4. When driving them to school, don't always play albums or cds in the car.

Rather, tell them some motivational stories yourself. This will have a greater

impact - trust me!

5. Read to them a short story and even a scripture a day – it doesn't take

much time, but very good in creating strong bonds and wonderful memories.

6. Comb your hair, clean your teeth and wear presentable clothes even if sitting

at home and not going out for the day. They need to learn that being clean and

tidy has nothing to do with going out!

7. Try not to blame or comment on every word or action they say or do. Learn

to overlook and let go sometimes. This certainly builds their self confidence.

8. Ask your children's permission before entering their rooms. Don't just knock

and enter, but then wait for a verbal permission. They will learn to do the same

when wanting to enter your room.

9. Apologize to your children if you made a mistake. Apologizing teaches them

to be humble and polite.

10. Don't be sarcastic or make fun of their views or feelings, even if you "didn't

mean it" and was "only joking". It really hurts.

11. Show respect to your children's privacy. Its important for their sense of

value and self-esteem.

12. Don't expect that they will listen or understand the first time. Don't take it

personal. But be patient and consistent.

13. Pray with them. Show them how to pray. Lead by example.

14. In addition, ask them to discuss their daily plans after the morning prayers.

Children without concrete daily plans usually join others in executing theirs.

They fall easy to peer pressure.

15. Hold them and bless them specially every morning.

SOURCE: Copied.

BREAKING: Resident Doctors' Strike Persist After 24 Hours meeting Even As FG To Begin implementation of MOU with NMA on Monday

 

The leadership of the striking  National Association of Resident Doctors on Saturday refused to sign the new Memorandum of Action brokered by its parent body, the Nigeria  Medical Association.

NMA's intervention was to end the resumed strike of the residents doctors which enters its twenty second day on Sunday. 

NARD President, Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, who declined his assent  owing to an undisclosed clause insisted the leadership has to get the nod of members before he could sign the document. 

 The Minister of Labour and Employment said at the end of the six-hour long meeting that all other unions in the negotiation including the NMA and the Medical and Dental Consultants of Nigeria signed the new agreement.

Chris Ngige disclosed that the meeting did not discuss the issue of 'No Work No Pay' but that all parties at the meeting agreed to an out of court settlement.

In an earlier statement, Mr Charlse Akpan, Deputy Director of press ministry of Labour said In a bid to end the indefinite strike of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), the Federal Government says it will commence the implementation of its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) on Monday.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige said this on Saturday while making opening remarks at the continuation of an all-stakeholder meeting he summoned at the instance of President Muhammadu Buhari, aimed at resolving the doctors  strike. The meeting had earlier started at about 2pm on Friday and adjourned in the early hours of Saturday before reconvening in the afternoon.

Ngige who addressed journalists before the meeting went into closed door session, said they had reached agreements the previous night on all the 12 disputed issues, adding that implementation would start from the next working day (Monday).

Regarding the issue of non-payment of some house officers, the Minister said NARD is expected to submit the list of the affected 114 officers for further verification and when confirmed that they are genuine, and their IPPIS particulars and BVN are in order, they would be paid in September with the outstanding arrears.

He said an agreement was reached on the Residency Training Fund outstanding for 2020 and 2021, after the Budget Office had explained that N617, 429, 121 was the outstanding to be paid in the 2020.

“There are reconciliations to be done here because the 2020 was done with some errors. Some people who are not supposed to benefit from the fund got money and because of that, the number of genuine people that were not paid also came to that quantum of persons.

“So, reconciliation is being done and some monies are being returned. We have given a timeline for this reconciliation to be done.

“And for the 2021, the money approved by Government is N4.802B. This money like I said earlier was contained in the 2021 Supplementary Budget, which the President signed on the eve of his departure to UK for the meeting and medical check-up.

“So, between that time and now, it became a money law. The funds have now been sourced and it has gotten from the CBN to the Budget Office where we expect it to be processed in one week as undertaken by the Government side.”

Ngige added that the meeting agreed that by next Friday, August 27, residents in institutions would have started getting their money, with each receiving about N542, 000.

He noted that the issue of consequential adjustment on National Minimum wage cuts across the health and educational sectors, which were both affected by the projection of N160B done in 2019, but which fell short of the people that were to benefit from this.

“The meeting agreed that we need to let this matter. Therefore, the Budget Office of the Federation should start from the 2021 service vote to start paying. And if we have any leftovers, we roll it into the 2022.”

“Coming to hazard allowance, everybody agreed that the discussion is still ongoing and therefore government wants to finish it up. We agreed with NMA position to us that they don’t want to discuss holistically anymore as an association and that they have their own peculiarities that are not same with other health workers.

“We are going to do two meetings, one for NMA and affiliates and one for JOHESU. But we are taking the meetings concurrently so that we don’t run into troubled quarters. We are starting next weeks. “

Ngige said the meeting equally noted that the non-payment of skipping allowance cuts across the entire health sector and therefore agreed that it was going to be handled holistically, while awaiting the court judgment on the matter.

He said the NMA has been directed to submit a written position on the controversial withdrawing NYSC doctors and house officers from the scheme of service to point out the anomaly in the circular, for onward transmission to Head of Service of the Federation, who will look at the inputs given by NMA to the circular and process it to either the Council of Establishment or handle it administratively, if the issues are not such of fundamental nature to further clarify it,  adding that a two-month timeline has been set for this.

 

“We also agreed on the migration of doctors on GFMIS from some university teaching hospitals, like University College Hospital Ibadan, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital and University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital which have recruited doctors on GFMIS and were unable to pay them when GFMIS was tampered with.

 

“We can resume when we verify those people. They can be there until the recruitment is perfected in order to migrate them to IPPIS. In this wise, the Head of Service has granted waiver and revalidation of old waiver for University of Port Harcourt and  waivers for University College Ibadan and Calabar but this is not without reprimand for CMDS who have flouted government regulations by recruiting people into the service without fulfilling the requirements of circular on this.”

 

We also have issue of hazard allowances for doctors in government hospitals that did not benefit from that 2020 payment. The Federal Ministry of Health has compiled a list and we said that the list should be forwarded back again to the Federal Ministry of Finance. For doctors in University Clinics and the rest of them, we said they should route their own through the Federal Ministry of Education, their parent Ministry and Employer.

 

“On the controversial issue of NSIWC circular, removing doctors in academia from CONMESS and also doctors who are doubling as honorary consultants/lecturers from CONMESS to CONUAS, we have even before their request treated one leg of it by obeying the court order already gotten by them and in spirit of dialogue, we said further discussions should continue with NSIWC.

 

“NMA has undertaken that they should tell the two members and their association to do an out of court settlement by withdrawing the matter from the industrial court until we finish the negotiation. We gave a time for negotiation.

 

We have empanelled a committee with NMA leading including NSIWC, Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Ministry of labour and others in the team. The first inaugural meeting is Tuesday August 31st, we are hopeful that this meeting will give us suggestion on how to resolve the matter.”

 

“On the issues relating to states, there is no way the Federal Government will start pulling the states on the issue of domestication of Medical Residency Training Programme by their various Houses of Assembly and Government and issue of Medical Training Residency Fund. We also have the issue of Non-payment of COVID-19 allowances by some state governments and consequential minimum wage adjustments.

 

“We have before now made contact with the Governors Forum on these matters and the onus is now on us as the Ministry of Labour to talk to the Governors Forum and impress on them on the need for this to be done. The Medical Residency Training and accompanying Fund is already in the Act which the Federal Government has signed. We will impress it on them as part of strengthening the health system so that we are not starved of specialist doctors. There is an urgent need for them to adopt that. This will also help us to stem the issue of brain drain. The Federal Government cannot employ everybody. We want state governments to pay more attention to secondary and tertiary health.”

BREAKING: STRIKING RESIDENT DOCTORS MUSCLED TO A MEETING, DESPITE ANGER OF "NO WORK, NO PAY" THREAT BY NGIGE

APO House online Gathers That Senator(Dr.)Chris Nwabueze Ngige,the Nigerian Federal  Minister of Labour,Employment and productivity, has muscled members of the National Association of Resident Doctors to a meeting.

According to Ngige this  follows a directive from President Mohammadu Buhari, to resolve all issues without belabouring technicality, he is compeled to meet again with the striking resident Doctors.

He said this is after the ministry had approached the National Industrial Court to enforce "No Work, No Pay" policy on the striking resident doctors.

The Minister made this revelation at an ongoing meeting in Abuja with the Nigerian Medical Association and National Association of Resident Doctors.

Ngige who is with the minister of state for Health, Olurunnibe Momora says the National Industrial Court, NIC agreed on NARD to return to talks in alternative despute resolution mediation.

While expressing confidence that after today's meeting the ongoing strike will be called off, the two Ministers who are leading the government team insist on the Doctors to place the patients first

President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Professor Innocent Ujah says the lingering issue between the federal government an resident doctors are totally avoidable, insisting however that there is no pretence that all is well.

Ujah agues that the NMA was not carried along in the 20-day old strike, adding that No Doctor is trained to go on strike for It paints Doctors in Bad light and encourages brain drain.

Before going into a closed door, Ngige clarified that the NMA has never been sidelined, following previous agreement reached, stressing that It's not also correct to mention that government of President Buhari Does not honour agreement.

OLOYEDE, RASHEED, BOBBOYI RETURNED TO JAMB, NUC, UBEC, BY PRESIDENT BUHARI

 BREAKING...

ABJ/ABULU OSEMUAGHU

President Muhammadu Buhari, has, upon the recommendation of Education Minister, Adamu Adamu, approved the reappointment of the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board, JAMB, Professor Ishaq Oloyede and the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, NUC, Professor Abubakar  Rasheed.

Bem Goong, Director Press and information, ministry of Education, in a statement from the federal ministry of Education says the two appointments are for a tenure of five years each, with effect from  August 1, 2021.

Also reappointed is Doctor Hamid Bobboyi as Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC for a second and final tenure of four years with effect from August 1, 2021.

President Buhari had earlier approved the reappointment of Professor Ifeoma Isiugo-Abanihe as Registrar/CEO of the National Business and Technical Examinations Board, NABTEB for a second term of four years to sustain the efforts at sensitizing Nigerians on the critical role of Technical and Vocational Education and Training, TVET and business subjects in the new knowledge economy.

To give further impetus to mathematics education, approval was also granted for the  fresh appointment of Professor Promise Mebine as the Director/Chief Executive of the National Mathematical Centre for an initial tenure of five years with effect from August 17, 2021.

Buhari Yet To Appoint New Heads For JAMB, NUC, UBEC, 10 Others, After 5-Year Tenure Expiration.

APO House Online Gathers That President Buhari is Yet To make announcement for new heads of 13 agencies whose tenure expired almost two months ago.

One of such is JAMB-After a five-year tenure as Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB), Professor Is-haq  Oloyede has bowed out of the public examinations body

Professor Oloyede, whose tenure in office expired alongside those of 13 other agencies and parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Education, formally handed over to the Director, Information Technology Services,  Fabian Okoro, who is the most senior management staff of the Board.

The tenure of many other chief executives of parastatals and agencies under the ministry have also come to an end last week, including the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, NUC, Professor Abubakar Rasheed; Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC Hameed Boboyi, Registrar, National Business and Technical Examinations Board, NABTEB, Professor Ifeoma Isiugo-Abanihe and the Registrar, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, Professor Sunday Ajiboye.

Other chief executives are Afolabi Aderinto of Computer Registration Council of Nigeria, Prof. Garba Dahuwa Azare of National Teachers Institute, Professor Michael Afolabi of Library Registration Council of Nigeria  and Professor Steven Ejugwu Onah of the National Mathematical Centre, Shedda.

The rest are Professor Chinyere Ohiri-Aniche of the National Institute of Nigerian Languages,  Professor Lillian Salami of Nigerian Institute for Educational Planning and Administration, Professor Lanre Aina of National Library of Nigeria, Professor  Abba Haladu of National Commission for Mass Literacy Adult and Non-Formal Education and Professor Bashir Usman of Nomadic Education Commission.

Police Begs NUJ to lift Ban on its Activities, Compensates Brutalised AIT journslist

 

APO House Online Gathers That Sylvester Abiodun Alabi, the Bauchi state police commissioner on Thursday presented working tools to Nagari Damina Yusuf, a reporter with the African Independent Television (AIT) .

Items presented to the AIT reporter at the NUJ headquarter by Mr. Sylvester Abiodun Alabi, includes laptop computer, two smart phones and a multi purpose camera.

Nagari Damina Yusuf was allegedly dehumanised by the police Rapid Response Squad on line of duty three weeks ago, culminating on the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to blacklist police activities in Bauchi state indefinitely.

The police boss commended the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state for putting on hold its planned street protest against police brutality following his sympathy visit to the union’s secretariat.

He further appealed to the union to lift the ban on the coverage of the Nigeria police activities in the state so that their operations could be publicized.

Abiodun reiterated the readiness of the command to work harmoniously with jourmalists for the good of the people of the state.

In his remark, Umar Sa’id, the chairman of the NUJ in Bauchi state Chapter commended the police boss for showing concern on the plight of victim and for also redeeming his pledge on compensations.

Umar Sa’id assured that the union would convene a meeting with the state executive council with a view to reviewing the embargo imposed on the police.

NIGERIA DEVELOPMENT:Research Experts advocate policy on industry, academia partnership

APOHouse online gathers that Researchers in Nigeria have advocated the formulation of a national policy on industry and academia partnership to enhance synergy and the transfer of research into products and services.

Speaking during a virtual meeting organised by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, Research and Development Standing Committee, RDSC, on Institutionalisation of R&D in Industrialisation, manufacturing, Trade, Investment and Economy thematic group,  the researchers stressed the need for Nigeria to utilise research to grow a competitive economy on its areas of comparative advantage such as agriculture.

President of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Engr Mansur Ahmed, who chaired the meeting, noted that the country should aim for sustained economic growth, build the capacity of its manufacturing sector and expand its trade policies.

While appreciating the leadership and commitment of the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Prof Suleiman Bogoro, for initiating the process of institutionalising R&D in the country, Ahmed said "we need a clear strategy for expanding our energy sector to support our industrialisation strategy; we need to upscale the skills of Nigerians."

He expressed confidence that R&D has enough potentials to grow the country's manufacturing sector, noting that the country must factor research in a way that fits the industrialisation process to grow its economy in a way that Nigeria becomes an industrialised nation.

"We all recognised that R&D has been the major driver of economies across the world and every aspect of life but it has not had that impact in Nigeria, that especially, we believe that we have potentials given the enormous human and material resources that are at our disposal.

He added that the R&D initiative which seeks to anchor research in the country's economy was overdue, stating that the time to institutionalise research in Nigeria is now.

According to him, the socio economic aspects of industrialisation, manufacturing, trade, investment and economy constitutes the social transition from the output of research and development into the provision of  products and services for human livelihood. 

A Vice Chairman of the TETFund RDSC, Prof Anya O. Anya, in his remarks, noted that Nigeria must aim at double digits economic growth and single digit inflation, adding that it is only when the country's economy grows at 7.5 per cent of GDP per annum that the country can overcome some of its challenges and induce competitiveness.

Anya said the reason Nigeria must keep its inflation down is that the high unemployment and poverty rates in the country cannot be managed except its inflation is brought down.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the RDSC, Prof Njida Gadzama, said given the potentials Nigeria has, the country deserves to be better than what it is.

Gadzama, who lamented that the country imports virtually everything, called on all Nigerians to lay aside their differences, unite and develop the country.

On the insecurity in the country,  he noted that the nation must return to the era when it used to manufacture its own military weapons such as rifles.

In a presentation, a Professor of Agronomy at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Prof Ali Garba, noted that the manufacturing sector accounts for only 11 per cent of the country's economy as at 2019, adding that manufacturing in Nigeria is hindered by poor power supply, government policies, among others.

While giving a breakdown of Nigeria's economic performance, Garba said the country's largest export sector is crude petroleum with 76 per cent, while petroleum gas has 14 per cent and agricultural products 22 per cent.

He lamented that as at 1980, Nigeria used to refine its crude and all vehicles were assembled in Nigeria but now they are all imported, stating that agriculture and the industry are important mutual partners in the industrialisation process.

According to him, adequate infrastructural development such as good road networks and electricity were very critical to the country's quest for industrialisation.

On defence and military, he said if defence could step up its security investment in the country will improve and industrialisation will take place, adding that military equipment can also be manufactured locally.

He said industrialisation in Nigeria was the solution to unemployment and poverty, while noting that all counties that developed were at one point suffering from unemployment until they achieved industrialisation.

NIGERIA'S EDUCATION MINISTRY CONFIRMS DEATH OF 13-YEAR OLD JSS ONE NUHU YAHAYA OF FGC, KWALI

APOHOUSE Gathers That The Nigerian  Federal Ministry of Education has confirmed the death of Master Nuhu Yahoya. a JSS I student of the Federal Government College. Kwali. Abujo. which sad event occurred onMonday.9 August 2021 at RHEMA Cinic. also in Kwali Area Council.

The Ministry in a statement  by Bem Goong, The Director Public Relations and information says it has dispatched a letter of condolence to the family Cs well s paid a visit.

It added that A Committee has been set up to look into the circumst.ances of Master Nuhu's death.

It said even as the Ministry aowaits the medical report from the hospital in the coming days it advises members of the public, including the media. are hereby advised to avoid speculations on the couse of death of Master Nuhu

NIGERIAN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT KNOCKS STATES OVER INABILITY TO ACCESS UBEC COUNTERPART FUNDS.

The Fed

eral Govt has described as regreatable, the inability of some states of the Federation in accessing counterpart funds from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) for developing primary education in their States

Education Minister, Adamu Adamu, who stated this at this year's 65th National Council on Education meeting in Jalingo, Taraba State, said, over One Hundred and Thirty Billion Naira (#130,000,000,000)in UBEC custody is still unutilized due to the inability of states to provide their 50 precent counterpart funds, 

Speaking through the Minister of State for Education, Hon Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, the Minister said, the affected states need to reprioritize basic education as it is the bedrock for further and continuing education, too strategic to be ignored.

Emphasizing the need for co-operation from the states, Adamu Adamu said the tasks of developing education at all levels, securing our children and ensuring basic sanitation in our schools requires that all hands must be on deck to achieve the desired results.

Also speaking at the ocassion in a goodwill message, former deputy governor of plateau state and current Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Dame Pauline Tallen called for greater stakeholder cooperation in the efforts to eradicate the out of school children phenomenon,adding that no child should be left behind.

President of the Association of Proprietors of private schools, Evangelist Ajibade Augustine stated that members of the Association are more than ever before, determined to take more ch.ildren off the streets in their efforts at eradicating the out of school children phenomenon.